Improvement in fruit-box crate



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Letters Patent No. 96,856, dated November 16, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN FRUIT-BOX CRATE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

' l To all whom tt may concern Be it known that I, JAMES WHITE, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fruit-Box Crate; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part o f this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the crate.

Figures 2 and 3, detached sections.,

Figure 4, a view ot' a fruit-box.

Like letters of reference referto like parts in the several views; Y

This invention relates to a crate, in whicl fruitboxes are packed for transportation, the construction of which being such as to combine strength, durability, and lightness, with convenience, cheapncss, and safety.

-This crate is of an oblong square figure, as shown in tig. 1`,'in which it will be seen that it is made up of strips of board, AB, on the sides and end, the saine being nailed to the upright pieces or studs C, constituting the corners of the crate.

lt will also be seen that a portion of each end of the studs is rabbcted out, forming a recess, D, tig. 3, in which the upper and lower-end boards are fitted with the edge resting upon the shoulders a ofthe rabbet, the purpose of which will hereinafter be shown.

Each of the corners F of the sides is composed of one entire piece, a detached view ot' which is shown in tig. 2. Said piece is out from a solid block of wood, of the proper length and size for the crate to which it is fitted, thereby forming a square solid corner, without a joint; hence the corners are much stronger and more durable than when made of two pieces of board, nailed together in the ordinary way, as well as cheaper.

l As above said, the upper and lower-end pieces are tted in the rabbet of the studs, with their edges resti'ng upon the shoulder a, the purpose of which is to give greater support to the end-boards, while the top and bottom are being nailed on, thereby preventing the board from breaking away from the stud by the blows of tbe hammer.

The purpose ot this cinte isfor the transportation of grapes or other small fruits, which are put up in boxes, as shown in fig. 4. These boxes are packed into the crate, more or less in number, as the size ot' the crate may be, or the size of the boxes of fruit. In this way a large number of boxes' of fruit may be packed together in a safe condition for transportation.

The construction of this crate is such that the boxes of fruit packed therein cannot be taken therefrom without materially injuring the crate for the boxes; hence is secured'the transportation of the fruit to the consignee without loss by pillage, which cannot be done in the ordinary crate, as they can be opened and the contents removed therefrom without its being known.

The solid corner-pieces F are sawcd from solid wood blocks, without waste of timber, by two circular saws that have their arbors at right angles with each other,

and consequently cut the right angle in the block, and.,

as the block is fed the thickness of the corner to the saws, the next out will leave the solid corner-piece in the shape desired, except the bevelling oil" the edge; one object in so constructing the corners being, that the crate cannot 'be opened without splitting these eight-angled eorner-pieces, showing that the crate or box has been tampered with.

I ain aware that metal pieces having right angles have been used upon the corners of trunks, boxes, and crates, and such right-angled corner-iron-I lay no claim to, as it is not what lny invention is intended to cover.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl The fruit-crate, composed ofthe slats A. B, studs C, and right-angled-solid wood corner-pieces F, when constructed in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

JAMES WHITE.`

fitnesses XV. H. BURRIDGE, 'J. H. BURRIDGE. 

